LAURA PARSONS
for Cape Henlopen School Board
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Priorities
Strengthening the relationships between communities, schools and families, safeguarding the mental wellness of students and teachers, fighting for the wellbeing, excellence and safety of all children in the district.
Technology
Focusing on optimizing technology for safe access, effective learning and future preparedness.
Education
Concentrating resources on the continuous improvement of teaching and learning while challenging students to greater success in state tests, advanced classes and extracurricular activities.
About Laura
In 2012, my husband Eric and I relocated to Lewes from Philadelphia for his position in mortgage banking. I had recently graduated magna cum laude from Thomas Jefferson University’s School of Nursing with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Prior to this, I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business/Marketing/Spanish from James Madison University and enjoyed a fulfilling career in pharmaceuticals before choosing to pursue nursing. I worked at Bayhealth in Dover before welcoming our first son in 2013, followed by our second son in 2015 and our third son in 2018.
Although my boys have always been my priority, I opened an aesthetics practice, Parsons Aesthetics, LLC, in 2020 and partnered with the medical group, Women’s Wellness of Southern Delaware. I take pride in supporting both men and women who wish to benefit from anti-aging and cosmetic injectable treatments in a safe, confidential, and nonjudgmental environment. I am committed to personalizing clients’ experiences to enhance their overall well-being and natural beauty. I am thankful for the flexibility to accommodate the busy schedules of our three boys, all of whom thrive at Lewes Elementary.
In my free time, I enjoy traveling, skiing, running, cooking, and learning. We actively participate in the Seaside Jewish Community and enjoy contributing to the community and local philanthropies.
Experience
I am deeply involved with my young children both at home and in school. As a parent in the district for the past six years. I have a unique perspective on Cape’s policies, curriculum, and administration. My three boys actively participate in and test every policy and directive implemented. Furthermore, they are direct recipients of the district and state’s tax dollars, grants etc and I am able to see, in real time, how the implemented programs are working. I’m also able to witness how the rapidly changing educational and political climate is affecting their education.
Additionally, I observe the strengths, weaknesses, and loopholes of policies that may seem impressive on paper but falter in practice. I aim to leverage this unique knowledge and daily involvement with the district to further enhance our already successful schools, setting every child in the district up for optimal success.
Professionally, I lead a small team of three, alongside two partners and ten other staff members who, while not directly reporting to me, play crucial roles in my success. Through my guidance, openness to collaboration, feedback, and delegation, my business has thrived over the past four years. This success is not solely due to my own skills but also to the cohesive team I have built and mentored. They are trained to deliver the high level of customer service and attention to detail that I exemplify and demand.
I am also actively involved in various local charities and have participated in numerous service projects, including the Epworth Soup Kitchen, Pennsylvania Alliance for Labor Support, Rehoboth Art League, and the Jefferson Honickman Breast Imaging Center at Thomas Jefferson University Additionally, I serve as a nurse at my boys' summer camp in the Poconos and lead a local symposium focused on uniting my professional community.
Education
2012
Bachelor of Science, Nursing
Thomas Jefferson University
Member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing
Dean’s List member, Magna Cum Laude
2003
Bachelor of Science
James Madison University
Major- International Business with Marketing Concentration
Minor- Spanish
Study Abroad: University of Salamanca, Spain
My Motivation
Motivation
The success of all 6,600+ children (3 of whom are my own) in the district is my primary motivation. The quality of our curriculum, the competency of our staff and administration, the effective use of our technology, the collaboration between students, teachers, parents, and community, and the facilities in which the children learn, are all critical to their achievement. We are building the foundation for the rest of their lives and we must get it right. I want to be a part of ensuring the best outcomes for every single child. In my home, my children are loved, protected, nurtured, encouraged, and supported. Not all households are the same. I want to ensure that the schools can provide this support for every child, whether they receive it at home or not, so that every child’s future can be prosperous.
Goals
Academic Success
Challenging our teachers, administrators and students to continued growth on state tests, achievement of honor’s society, honor roll, AP classes, greater participation in diverse extracurricular clubs and activities, enhanced college or career preparedness, and amplified leadership opportunities through peer mentorship.
Technology
Optimizing the use of technology and giving children access to state-of-the-art equipment and resources while continually teaching them how to use the technology in a safe and effective way. Closely examining all technology policies, including cell phone policies, to find areas of improved safety and greater quality use of time is of great importance. As technology is at the forefront of most industries and is progressing rapidly, preparing our children to be innovative, safe and savvy in a highly technological world is critical.
Furthermore, ensuring that children remain engaged in meaningful learning experiences during school closures is essential. If in-person days do not need to be made up, it is important to guarantee that students are receiving an equivalent educational experience through virtual learning as they would in a traditional classroom setting.
Collaboration/Mental Health
Strengthening the relationships between communities, schools and families is vital to the success of our district. We must enhance avenues for community stakeholders, students, parents and teachers to provide feedback and express their concerns, thereby promoting a synergistic and responsive educational environment.
We must also safeguard the mental wellness of both students and teachers through adequate counseling and training resources- to be inclusive of everyone in our dynamic district. This also includes appropriate resources to support teachers in an increasingly complex teaching environment where burnout is prevalent.